Choice
by theginnymalfoy
Summary: Ginny Weasley's boyfriend is throwing a Christmas party. Unfortunately, the Golden Trio is not a fan of the place. However, Ginny wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for no reason, and her Weasley temper is not something to be messed. The Trio missed out on a lot when they weren't at Hogwarts, and it's time they found out. Independent Ginny! Implied Ginny/Draco. Rated M for language.


A/N: Wow. It has been a long long time since I have uploaded anything onto this site. I'm excited to say that (in my personal opinion) my writing has improved greatly. Of course I will leave my old stories up for historical purposes. Please Read and Review! I hope you enjoy!

Ginny Weasley stood in the doorway and watched, unnoticed by her brother, her friend, and whatever Harry was to her right now. The happy couple sat on the couch, Ron's head resting in Hermione's lap, her fingers absentmindedly playing with his ginger hair. Harry sat in the armchair next to them, his green eyes sparkling as his laughed and threw a piece of popcorn at Ron in retaliation for whatever her brother had just said. Hermione was as collected as ever, pretending not to be amused but the corners of her mouth tugged upwards either way.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The Golden Trio. She wondered what it would have been like if she'd gone searching for Horcruxes with them. That year had solidified them as a unit in her mind. Connected for life. Even though Hermione and Ron were engaged, the people sitting in front of her would always be The Three. They were so lucky. But then again, this past year she'd had an army- the student resistance. So maybe she was the lucky one after all.

Ginny took a deep breath and pushed a stray lock of red hair behind her ear, steeling herself for the fight that she knew was coming. She could do this. She was a Gryffindor for a reason.

_Here it goes,_ she thought.

"Can I ask you three something?" She said.

Three sets of eyes met hers in surprise. They really hadn't noticed her standing in the doorway.

"A bunch of us are getting together next Saturday and celebrating our first holiday season without certain noseless individual trying to murder everyone and we wanted to invite the three of you."

Ron swatted away another piece of popcorn that was thrown his way and sat up.

"Who's us?" He asked, throwing an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

Ginny smiled. _So far so good._

Relaxing into she conversation, she replied easily,"Oh the whole lot of us really and a lot of them are your year. Neville, Seamus, Lavender, and Dean from Gryffindor, but the other Houses will be there too. Luna, Terry, and Michael from Ravenclaw. I know the Patil twins will be abroad are visiting relatives in India. Let's see. All of our Hufflepuff friends will be there. Astoria is helping me with decorations so I know she'll be there. And of course some of the younger students that only Hermione will know seeing as she's the only one of you three who went back to Hogwarts, but I promise they're great. Ron and Harry, you'll like them."

Ginny was rambling now and everyone knew it. They were off hunting for Horcruxes when Astoria Greengrass had joined up so they certainly didn't care if she would be there.

Ginny noticed Hermione's questioning gaze, but she avoided it. Instead she glanced over at Harry who seemed interested in the party and certainly hadn't noticed how nervous she was becoming.

Luckily, her brother was just as unobservant as his black haired best friend.

"We get it, Ginny. Lots of people." Ron said, completely unperturbed and waving his hand as though to keep her from rambling further. "It sounds like a fun time to me, right Herm?"

Hermione nodded in agreement although her questioning gaze didn't falter.

Harry clapped once before straightening up in the chair and proclaiming, "I'm in. Where is it?"

Ginny paused and nervously looked down at her feet. Hermione might be the observant one of the group, but the two boys weren't dumb.

When Ginny looked up again, all three of her friends were looking at her with unspoken questions on their faces.

Ron spoke first. Maybe this was because he was the member of the Trio with the worst temper or simply because he was her older brother, but either way, his voice took on a suspicious tone.

His eyes narrowed. "Yeah Ginny, where is the party?"

She laughed shakily and shrugged, "Well the whole party was his idea so it just made sense for him to host."

The whole Trio had suspicious looks now.

"Ginny." Ron said slowly, his eyes narrow. "Whose. Party."

The youngest Weasley sibling met his gaze head on before answering.

Slowly but confidently, she replied. "Draco's. It's going to be at Malfoy Manor."

The room exploded.

Hermione gasped, with her hand covering her open mouth and a look of horror on her face. Harry's green eyes pierced Ginny with a glare. His first remained clenched by his sides but his entire body had become tense and his jaw was clenched. Ron was not so silent.

He shot to his feet. As his face slowed turned puce, he shouted, "What in Merlin's name is wrong with you Ginny! You must be bloody mad if you think we're spending a single second in that slimy ferret's house, boyfriend or not!"

Ginny bristled at the insult. "You're right. He IS my boyfriend so you'd better watch your mouth Ron."

Her brother scoffed."You know what, Ginny? I think we've been pretty considerate of that seeing as he tried to murder DUMBLEDORE! We're not going to a party at that bastard's house and neither are you!"

Ginny's voice was slowly raising to match her brother's. "Ron, we've been over this a million times. You lot KNOW what happened with Draco. I don't know why you're bringing that up again. And for the record, you have NO right to tell me where I can and can't go. If you three don't want to go, that fine. But it's ridiculous!"

The two siblings glared at each other, neither wanting to escalate the fight nor backing down either.

Hermione shakily voiced her opinion. "Look Ginny. We understand that a lot of Hogwarts people are going and he is your boyfriend-"

"You can't trust him or his stupid Manor!" Harry interrupted indignantly.

Hermione silenced him with a look before continuing, "BUT, I'm sorry Ginny, I just don't think it's a good idea. That manor is not a nice place."

"Come off it Hermione," Ginny cried.

"It's just not right Ginny," Harry stated firmly.

"Maybe if it was somewhere else," Hermione said diplomatically.

"Don't be stupid Ginny," Ron tried.

While her three friends shouted at her and over each other, Ginny found herself in danger of losing her infamous Weasley temper.

Struggling to control herself, she made one last attempt, crying "Grow up you three. It's a bloody building!"

Unfortunately, Ron lost his temper first.

"A bloody building? What in Merlin's beard is wrong with you Ginny? We were KIDNAPPED there. Hermione was TORTURED there. Dobby DIED because of that place. We're NEVER going back!"

"WELL LUCKY YOU!" Ginny shouted, her temper finally getting the best of her. "Aren't you three so bloody. Well I don't have that luxury. None of us have that luxury except for the Golden fucking Trio. You lot can do whatever you want. But the rest of us don't have that choice. The rest of us have to go back to Hogwarts. The rest of us have to go back to the place where people DIED. I can't go a day of school without passing the spot where Fred died. And not just at the Battle of Hogwarts either. Students DIED when the Carrows were in charge. We were tortured EVERYDAY in some way or another. And sometimes we had to torture each other. We have to go back into the classrooms and try to learn. We sit in those rooms trying not to remember how just six months ago we were learning the proper wand movements for Unforgivables. We do it EVERY DAY. The first years under the Carrows have six more years in that place and you can't spend six hours in a house where bad things happened to you that one time? Look, I'm so sorry for what happened at Malfoy Manor. No one should have to go through that. But don't stand there and ignore the fact that you three are the only ones who have a choice! Don't stand there and act like you're the only victims of the damn war!"

Ginny glared, still on edge. Sure, she hadn't planned on ever saying those things to them, but she most certainly wouldn't take back the truth just because it made them uncomfortable.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry stared at her with a mixture of horror and guilt on their faces. Of course, Ron still had a bit of anger on his face too, but his temper always took a little extra time to smoulder.

Ginny exhaled, suddenly exhausted by the entire ordeal and craving a fly to clear her head.

Wanting to end the conversation, Ginny said simply, "Look, either come to the party or don't. I really don't care either way. I'm going for a fly, just let me know if Mum needs help with dinner."

Harry sank back down into the armchair and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," he said. "We didn't think that-"

"You're right, Harry," Ginny snapped. "You DIDN'T think. You three never do."

And with that, she turned and stormed off, leaving the Golden Trio gaping after her. They deserved each other.

_Plus_ she thought. _Who needs a Trio when you've got an army._

_FIN._

A/N: Read & Review. If there is sufficient interest, I will consider uploading and finishing the novel length story that this is pulled from! Either way, I think I am back and ready to stay :)


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